Fox failed with Nintendo 3DS; CNN fails with the Wii U

Remember a while back when Fox News though the Nintendo 3DS was the Nintendo DS3 and was simply another DS modification? Well, now we have CNN thinking the Wii U is just a Wii controller modification and not a new system.

You can read their article and a link to it after the break.

(CNN) — Will Nintendo’s forthcoming Wii U breathe new life into its aging Wii concept? Hard to say at this point, but the Wii U is a solid device that will bring a fresh element to Nintendo gaming. I got my hands on the redesigned device, which was first previewed a year ago, after Nintendo’s Electronic Entertainment Expo event in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Here are my first impressions: First, the device. It is smaller than a tablet, but larger than your mobile phone. It doesn’t feel heavy in the hands, and you will really have to try hard to snap it in two (not recommended). The device is part controller and part handheld console, and new games are expected to take advantage of both abilities. I tried out the Wii U on two games, each featuring a different use for the device. “Luigi’s Haunted Mansion” takes advantage of what Nintendo calls asynchronous gameplay. This allows the Wii U to have unique goals and abilities in the game when played simultaneously with other people holding regular Wii controllers. In this game, the player with the Wii U is a ghost trying to track down and capture the four players using Wii controllers. The ghost player uses the Wii U built-in screen to see everything on the map while the four other players must watch the TV screen to capture a ghost they can’t usually see. The Wii U screen is large enough to make small shapes easy enough to distinguish. The two joystick controllers feel natural and sturdy, and comparable to other console joysticks. There are also two sets of shoulder buttons which are appropriately placed and don’t feel uncomfortable to use. In the second game, “Donkey Kong’s Crash Course,” those buttons are used to manipulate a course you navigate by tilting the Wii U in the appropriate directions. The shoulder buttons raise and lower bridges and elevators while the joysticks are used to turn cranks. It was a little difficult to rotate joysticks while also trying to tilt the Wii U. But with practice, I was able to get the right amount of touch without dying. Players can watch the overall action on their TVs or get an up-close view through the Wii U screen. I can’t envision players using the big screen for games when the small one is in their hands. Nintendo plans to release a wide range of games, from kid titles like “Pikmin 3″ to offerings for hardcore gamers like “ZombiU” and “Mass Effect 3.” The promise of additional gameplay features for the Wii U make it an intriguing option. Overall, the Wii U is a solid hybrid of a souped-up Wii controller and a handheld gaming device. It’s larger than a traditional console controller, but not so heavy that it would cause fatigue problems. Despite no announcement of a specific launch date or a price, the Wii U will only be as good as the games made for it. Nintendo’s focus on games during Tuesday’s event is a sign the gaming company may have its eye on the right target.

I wouldn’t say it’s those news outlets failing. I think it’s more Nintendo failing to make their points and products clear to the observer. They haven’t been showing much of the console itself, not even talking much about it. Just a short glimpse here and there. Even their own games, Miis, everything, looks like updated Wii stuff.

So to the not-so-informed observer (and these news outlets aren’t perhaps deeply interested in gaming) it doesn’t look like a new HD console with good looking stuff coming to it.

The failure has been on Nintendo to make sure the general public understands the Wii U. I’ve shown numerous people trailers and videos of the Wii U and the controller and almost everyone asks “Is this yet another controller for the Wii?” or “When is this coming out for the Wii?”.

They could have spent less time on showing Wii-like stuff, Sing (I closed my eyes and counted every wasted second), Just Dance (I sat in my chair and looked away, stood up and walked in circles, groaning) and NintendoLand (got annoyed because it took too much time to show off and explain something this simple, like it was THE MAIN ATTRACTION), which to the untrained eye, looks just like a continuation of the Wii casual stuff… and more time on making it clear what the Wii U is and what it can do, both graphically and socially.

They acted like they had so much to show during this E3, that they couldn’t possibly cram it into a one hour conference. That’s why they had the Direct and then the software showing later on. But the reality is, very little was shown and much of the time was spent on babbling on little things that could have been said in much shorter time or just shown, instead of going on and on about it. We got games we already knew about, revealed upcoming games they revealed last year and very few surprises, if any.

In short, the failure was on Nintendo, who could have walked away from LA with their heads high and praises in boatloads. Instead, they left people scratching their heads, pulling their hair and feeling disappointed in the Wii U. It looks like a continuation of the Wii. Where was the 3rd party support that everyone was raving about? Where was the awesome first party lineup? Where was Retro?! Show SOMETHING that made people go bonkers in joy over, but no… Show us Sing, Just Dance, NintendoLand and Wii Fit U.

Good job, Nintendo. Hype train derailed.

Mario Dart

Bullshit. Yes, Nintendo could have make it more clear but seriously… CNN couldnt figure out that the Wii U is a whole new console? News outlets are continuily failing for years, everybody knows that. The mistake is completly on CNN. They failed at their job, simple as fuck…

I agree wholeheartedly with Arnar. Nintendo failed to deliver what they said they were going to do. They said they were going to cater to the core gaming audience first like they are doing with the 3DS (which I think they are doing a good job of) and then they show 20 minutes of Nintendo Land plus another 25 minutes of it at the closed door presentation, Sing, Wii fit, Dance game, etc.

They showed Pikman which was good, but then the only other core game that got actual time was Batman. Which is a good game, but it’s an old game.

Why didn’t they spend time showing ACIII on the Wii U? Why didn’t they show Darksiders II on the Wii U? Why didn’t they show new 3rd party games?

They also said they were going to make sure to emphasize this is a new console and not just a controller for the Wii. I didn’t see any of that during the conference. It was the exact same as last year, all focus on the controller, no mention of the console or specs. They didn’t need to go into specific specs, but they could have talked more about how it’s advanced, and next gen and all that good talk we wanted to hear.

But no, they show us Mii games that look exactly like Wii shovelware party games.

They did the exact opposite of what I thought they would have done and made me go from day 1 buy to now I’m not sure I even will buy it ever. I saw nothing that says we’ll be getting the 3rd party support besides Ubi, I saw nothing that says this is a next gen system, I saw nothing that they are answering the call for a full online network.

I hope more non gaming websites post articles like CNN so Nintendo can see how bad they failed again. Maybe that will clue them in to show us what this new system can actually do and show us some real games.

Basti

Come on, the real core games are coming out one year after the release of the wii u. you’re asking about the reason, why nintendo is showing us such casual stuff as you said Mii games and so on. The reason is the bad image of nintendo for core game designer, they first have to get attention to the new hardware and gameplay design of the new controller, after that they will develop their games on this platform. the next problem is, that nintendo will bind the developers to use the new ways of controlling wii u games. so they have to implement new ideas for asymetric gaming. i don’t know what you think how long it takes to get new gameplay ideas. Best example for me is Diablo 3, took 12 years of developing. So in one sentence, wait a little bit more and you will get core games.

I think they’re failing to do their homework and do research. You don’t report on something without getting the facts, apparently they are lazy.

nintendo for life

they have lifes you know i dare you to make a game by writeing it out you got 3 weeks it must have a good story long gameplay atleast 8 bosses and a final boss write it down the story and the bosses if u can draw you may draw the boss out i dare you to do this in 3 weeks and this isnt even the makeing of the game haha but i wont make you do that :p.after that come back to me its a little harder then you think :/

CNN….. aren’t they that network that used to cover hard pressing international news topics, but were then privatized by your friendly neighborhood & governmental elitists, whom since have turned it into a fancy souped up version of MTV2 for generation Y’ers…??? No wonder they can’t get anything right anymore. ~ƒin

Exactly where does it say that they think it’s a new Wii? They just say it will breath new life into the “Wii concept”. And that’s true. It is a new console, but it follows the Wii concept. Miis, design, Wiimotes, Miis, philosophy.

And “redesigned device” simply refers to the controller being redesigned from the controller we saw last year.

Pikmin

I am quoting from the article: “Overall, the Wii U is a solid hybrid of a souped-up Wii controller and a handheld gaming device. It’s larger than a traditional console controller, but not so heavy that it would cause fatigue problems.”

The Wii U isnt just a Wii with a modified controller…Its just an Xbox 360 with a modified controller.

Sazabi

Yeah, but it was Nintendo’s job to explain this. Even gamers are not sure about a lot of things…even Nintendo fans are not sure about critical things.

I want to buy the system at day one, but I hope they show more stuff…I need at least an announcement of a Nintendo game that is worth the console. Pikmin 3 was cool, maybe I’ll buy it, but that’s not what I wanted D:

It’s kinda funny that I want 3 or more 3rd party games…being ZombiU, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Aliens:Colonial marines (because I’m mainly a PC gamer nowadays and I totally skipped the current gen consoles..but as always, I just want Nintendo games and a strong 3rd party support like in the old days)

Wait a minute! The guy said Pikmin 3 is a kids game… say whaaat? As far as I can recall, Pikmin was a pretty cool concept when the GameCube came out over ten years ago, even though I chose not to get it at the time.

jdub

Anything rated less than M is a kids only game didn’t you know? Ut was this comment that annoyed me, not his failed report of the wii u. Pikmin 3 is the best game coming to the system

Zeta

people just seem to think anything with an age-friendly theme is a kids game, like a less darkly themed Zelda (unlike TP) would be considered a kids game even with all the complex gameplay with puzzles bosses and even mobs (in SS), i guess people just can’t get out of that habit of only looking at the surface.

Its not an accident. Its not really that difficult for a journalist to check facts, and media in general has fuck3d this up enough times already, that they should know by now. They are deliberately making these claims to mess product that threatens american money, that also happens to own the media.

This is Nintendo’s fault for not coming up with a totally new name and constantly comparing it to current gen consoles. The author of the article obviously didn’t do his research and should be working at a small-town local newspaper company with that kind of work ethic. But it shows that Nintendo has to be very clear when marketing the console at launch to avoid this kind of confusion in the future.

Zeta

let me ask you this, do Sony and Microsoft have to make it BLATANTLY clear to people when they release a new console even though they always keep the name and just add a number, what’s the difference are people so dim that because its a letter and not a number they can’t see the difference? Also it isn’t really Nintendo comparing it to current gen consoles that’s more the people, i think only once Nintendo spoke about it and that was because of all the BS spreading about it being weaker and on par with current gen consoles.